Why is Leia such a bitch in ANH?

Marksist · Post by **Marksist** » 2004-07-20 03:57pm

I watched ANH again last night because I couldn't sleep. And I just noticed what a bitch Leia is to Han and Luke when they all first meet in the prison area. But, why the attitude towards them? She was scheduled for execution, she was going to die, but, Luke and Han risked their lives to save her. So why does she make all sorts of bitchy sarcastic remarks to them? Is this just done to make the tension between Han and Leia, so that it can be "resolved" later with their love story?

I mean I'd be pretty damned happy if I was rescued from my scheduled termination, and would be extremely thankful to those who rescued me, even if they were inept, and rude to be in doing so.

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2004-07-20 04:08pm

Well, if I'd just witnessed the destruction of my home planet, I'd be bitchy too. But that's just me. *shrugs*

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2004-07-20 04:16pm

Personally, I think it was the being banged by two different squads of Stormtroopers, the prison guards, the interrogation droid, Darth Vader, and Grand Moff Tarkin, all within a couple of days, that probably made her seem a tad ticked off.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2004-07-20 04:21pm

Which leads to the inevitable question: Was Leia sexually assaulted on the DS? Seriously, we're talking about a government and its lackeys that think nothing of genocide and plantary destruction, what's rape against someone that's going to die anyway? Considering the treatment of females in many totalatarian regimes is that so far fetched?

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2004-07-20 04:25pm

I assumed its cos she was royalty...

Crom · Post by **Crom** » 2004-07-20 04:32pm

Stravo wrote:Which leads to the inevitable question: Was Leia sexually assaulted on the DS? Seriously, we're talking about a government and its lackeys that think nothing of genocide and plantary destruction, what's rape against someone that's going to die anyway? Considering the treatment of females in many totalatarian regimes is that so far fetched?

It's a reasonable question to ask.

I would suspect not. Leia is a prominent political figure. That and Darth Vader was directly involved in her interrogation. I would suspect that the Dark Lord of Sith's personal interest in the captive would keep most of the lustful guards at bay.

That and the clones and the Stormtroopers never struck me as being terribly sadistic. They seemed extremely disciplined, and encouraging abuses like raping captives strikes me as poor policy.

But like you pointed out, these are the people who slaughtered an entire planet full of people, just to make a point.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2004-07-20 04:37pm

Aw, the official(edit:fanfic) SW Erotica Timeline only has the following:

- Captured aboard her blockade runner The Tantive IV, Leia is strip-searched for the hidden Death Star plans and then gangbanged by several horny Stormtroopers.
- In her Death Star detention cell, Leia is drugged and sexually tortured by Darth Vader as part of his interrogation session. This would haunt her for years to come.

I guess the rest of it wasn't really reconcilible with the movie.

Marksist · Post by **Marksist** » 2004-07-20 04:49pm

LOL

There is a SW Erotica Fanfic? Do you have a link?

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2004-07-20 04:51pm

consequences wrote:Aw, the official(edit:fanfic) SW Erotica Timeline only has the following:

- Captured aboard her blockade runner The Tantive IV, Leia is strip-searched for the hidden Death Star plans and then gangbanged by several horny Stormtroopers.
- In her Death Star detention cell, Leia is drugged and sexually tortured by Darth Vader as part of his interrogation session. This would haunt her for years to come.
I guess the rest of it wasn't really reconcilible with the movie.

I think the bottom of the barrel was just scraped a little thinner.

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2004-07-20 06:39pm

Stravo wrote:Which leads to the inevitable question: Was Leia sexually assaulted on the DS? Seriously, we're talking about a government and its lackeys that think nothing of genocide and plantary destruction, what's rape against someone that's going to die anyway? Considering the treatment of females in many totalatarian regimes is that so far fetched?

Probably not, she was a very prominent prisoner and noone would risk getting castrated by Vader's lightsabre for sticking their dick were it didn't belong. The Imperials, at least the elite shown in ANH, strike me as to diciplined and professional to lower themselves to such activities.

Bertie Wooster · Post by **Bertie Wooster** » 2004-07-20 07:04pm

Marksist wrote: And I just noticed what a bitch Leia is to Han and Luke when they all first meet in the prison area. But, why the attitude towards them? She was scheduled for execution, she was going to die, but, Luke and Han risked their lives to save her. So why does she make all sorts of bitchy sarcastic remarks to them? .

You'd be cranky too if you resisted and persevered through a drug-augmented interrogation by Darth Vader.

We see in the radio drama the extent of the psychological torture and assault on her psyche that Leia went through in the interrogation; it required every bit of willpower she had consciously and subconsciosly so I imagine her feistyness level would have risen as a result of the ordeal.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2004-07-20 07:12pm

Its possible that the Drugs had finally forced themsevles onto her.

As such she might have been saying whatever popped into her head due to the effects. So her comments mught not have been totally her fault.

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2004-07-20 07:27pm

Or it could be that she becomes naturally a smart ass and aggressive when the adrenaline is pumpin, which could be bad for poor Han in bed. But I think they were trying to portray her as an aggressive leader, and Han pushed all her wrong buttons at first with his mercentile attitude. I think there are passages in the EU someplace where it shows Leia getting pushy when she's in action. She automatically takes command, that bitch

Jalinth · Post by **Jalinth** » 2004-07-20 07:34pm

Trytostaydead wrote:Or it could be that she becomes naturally a smart ass and aggressive when the adrenaline is pumpin, which could be bad for poor Han in bed. But I think they were trying to portray her as an aggressive leader, and Han pushed all her wrong buttons at first with his mercentile attitude. I think there are passages in the EU someplace where it shows Leia getting pushy when she's in action. She automatically takes command, that bitch

Or maybe it was the fact that her rescuers really didn't know what they are doing

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2004-07-20 07:48pm

Also Leia is a young fiery rebel and struck me more like the revolutionary marxists we saw in Latin America, fiery, passionate and a bit of a prick. She was self righteous because she KNEW she was right and the Empire was just plain evil. She matured as she got older.

Mutant Headcrab · Post by **Mutant Headcrab** » 2004-07-20 07:59pm

I think there's a correlation between her hair and her attitude. With both buns wound tight on her head, it must trigger some sort of bitch mode. She seems pretty mellow in instances when she has a less extreme hair do.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-07-20 08:54pm

Stravo wrote:Which leads to the inevitable question: Was Leia sexually assaulted on the DS? Seriously, we're talking about a government and its lackeys that think nothing of genocide and plantary destruction, what's rape against someone that's going to die anyway? Considering the treatment of females in many totalatarian regimes is that so far fetched?

Was Leia raped on the DS?

Or was Leia raped in Jabba's palace?

Totalitarian regime made up of highly disciplined shock troops, lead by men like Tarkin ("bah, whats a few billion people in the grand scheme of things?") versus a notorious gangster's personal fortress, guarded by the scum of the galaxy and the direct line "Soon you will begin to appreciate me" (with accompanying bikini and leash).

I don't think Leia was raped on the DS, but she was tortured. However, I think she was in danger of being raped in Jabba's palace. It's a good thing she killed him.

CJvR wrote:Probably not, she was a very prominent prisoner and noone would risk getting castrated by Vader's lightsabre for sticking their dick were it didn't belong. The Imperials, at least the elite shown in ANH, strike me as to diciplined and professional to lower themselves to such activities.

There were two kinds of Imperial stormtroopers seen in ANH: the Elite that were on the Tantive IV and on Tattooine (not surprisingly; they were attached to a Destroyer that probably saw regular combat and boarding actions), and the theoretical 'Cadets' on the Death Star. Remember, the DS was supposed to hold out against 'large scale assault' meaning the stormtroopers onboard may not necessarily have been the toughest units in the galaxy. Hell, the reason why I said 'cadet' was because the DS would make an excellent training platform. Plus... they didn't exactly shoot straight

(there are reasons for that of course, I'm just poking fun at the DS stormies...)

[EDIT] I should say, "The Elite that SMASHED THROUGH the Tantive IV"

Macross · Post by **Macross** » 2004-07-20 09:05pm

In one of the short stories, after her capture, Jabba gives Leia to Boba Fett for the night. He just gives her a blanket and he offered to let her sleep on the cot. Thats about it...

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2004-07-20 09:52pm

in the bounty hunter wars, stormtroopers are mentioned as being horrifically sadistic - similar to s.s. troops.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-07-20 10:09pm

Marksist wrote:But, why the attitude towards them? She was scheduled for execution, she was going to die, but, Luke and Han risked their lives to save her. So why does she make all sorts of bitchy sarcastic remarks to them? Is this just done to make the tension between Han and Leia, so that it can be "resolved" later with their love story?

Out of universe: Lucas didn't want a 'damsal in distress' female character. While she needn't have been bitchy towards Han, Han is a bit of an arsehole at times. Hey there were a few times I would have decked him too, then probably buy him a drink or something. He's a stand up guy, but needs to shut up a few times.

I mean I'd be pretty damned happy if I was rescued from my scheduled termination, and would be extremely thankful to those who rescued me, even if they were inept, and rude to be in doing so.

You're thinking too stereotypically. And you're oversimplifying.

Leia failed in her mission to get to Obi-wan Kenobi and plead for his help. Leia thought that her position as Senator would give her immunity, and she was wrong about that ('failing' again). Taken prisoner would probably be humiliating just by itself, given her prestige and position. Which, incidentally, just went down the toilet when the Emperor disbanded the Senate, and it became clear she had Rebel sympathies (fuck, she was the goddamn Rebel LEADER, if it weren't for fucking Mon Mothma coming in and ruining things... that's a rant, by the way). Leia was then tortured, by Vader, for who knows how long. She didn't break, but torture is torture. Maybe she was raped as well, given how we now have an EU reference to stormtroopers being sadistic bastards. The next thing that happens is Leia CAPITULATING to Tarkin (meaning she 'failed' to hold, even though she was only bluffing - still, Dantooine WAS a rebel base, and there may have been something left behind to give clues, so this still counts). Then, to top it off, Tarkin blows up her planet, and forces her to watch. So she fails yet again.

When they bust her out, one of the first things she does is pick up a blaster and kills stormtroopers. Indeed, throughout the rest of the OT, she becomes adept at that becoming quite the fighter. She may have been a bit 'short' with Han and Luke, but face it - Han can be a bit of a jerk, and she wasn't snide to Luke at all. She made one comment to Chewie about being a walking carpet - I love the guy, but he really needs to go to a barber.

I wouldn't classify her as bitchy. Fiery, passionate, opinionated, intelligent, resourceful, but not bitchy. She had fucking good reasons to snap at Han. "Maybe you'd like it back in your CELL, your highness?" Hey fuckface, how would you like it to get probed by Vader with torture equipment? Don't worry - wait till the next movie, then you'll know how it feels. (And incidentally, he mellows out after that and stops being a jerk - I doubt that's coincidence)

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2004-07-20 10:48pm

iirc, in the han solo trilogy she has some combat training.

that may be a reference to bria or winter, however.

Marksist · Post by **Marksist** » 2004-07-21 02:39am

It seems to be the majority opinion that she was justified in being bitchy because of all the torture, her planet being destroyed, the drugs, and Han being a smart ass. This works for me, I guess in my tired state while watching it I just didn't put two and two together and figure that all that trauma on her, that if most people were put in her position would have reacted the same way.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-07-21 02:44am

Marksist wrote:It seems to be the majority opinion that she was justified in being bitchy because of all the torture, her planet being destroyed, the drugs, and Han being a smart ass. This works for me, I guess in my tired state while watching it I just didn't put two and two together and figure that all that trauma on her, that if most people were put in her position would have reacted the same way.

Or worse. Some people would have gone to pieces. Some people may just have gone nuts. She at least kept her wits about her and did what needed to be done. She softens up later, but only when they had a chance to relax.

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2004-07-21 03:23pm

consequences wrote:Personally, I think it was the being banged by two different squads of Stormtroopers, the prison guards, the interrogation droid, Darth Vader, and Grand Moff Tarkin, all within a couple of days, that probably made her seem a tad ticked off.

If that's the case, why was she so mellow after Jabba's Palace? Being a giant worm-pimp's love slave couldn't have been to healthy for her ego.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-07-21 03:25pm

Bob the Gunslinger wrote:
consequences wrote:Personally, I think it was the being banged by two different squads of Stormtroopers, the prison guards, the interrogation droid, Darth Vader, and Grand Moff Tarkin, all within a couple of days, that probably made her seem a tad ticked off.
If that's the case, why was she so mellow after Jabba's Palace? Being a giant worm-pimp's love slave couldn't have been to healthy for her ego.

Do you really think Jabba can find it anymore?

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Why is Leia such a bitch in ANH?

Why is Leia such a bitch in ANH?

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